ABSTRACT
The use of inhalants to alter mood can be traced back to the mythology of ancient Greece. At Delphi, the pythoness—the priestess of Apollo—sat on a tripod above the cliffs, inhaling cold vapors containing carbon dioxide. This aid to meditation was soon followed by divine inspiration. Inhalation of volatile, organic solvents, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon related to our high-tech society. It wasn't noted in the medical literature and the media until 1959. The practice became widespread from then until the 1970s, when it began to decline.
